WHAT COULD BACKUP POWER COST — AND WHAT COULD GRID ELECTRICITY COST YOU?

Compare the installed and financed cost of backup power with your current electric bill, projected grid costs, and potential battery or solar savings. Results are planning estimates—not guarantees.

Educational estimates only. 2026 residential federal ITC is no longer available for most homeowner-owned systems. Results depend on your actual utility plan, usage, and system design.

Protection from outages and rising electricity costs: Compare estimated backup-system financing with your current bill, projected grid costs, and possible savings. Storage value varies by utility plan, equipment, solar production, usage, and operating strategy.

Your Major Electrical Loads

Select the larger loads present in your home. These selections provide educational context and do not produce a guaranteed battery size.

What do you want the system to help with?

Educational load profile: Select the major loads in your home to add context to the estimate.

HVAC design note: Running central air conditioning from battery backup requires proper system design. Starting requirements and continuous demand must be matched to the battery and inverter. Some homes may require added capacity, load management, selective backup circuits, a compatible soft-start device or other equipment.

Backup optionElectric utilityCurrent average monthly electric bill ($)Annual grid-cost change scenario (-5% to +5%)Projection periodAlready have solar?Estimated installed cost ($)Down payment ($)Estimated interest rate (%)Loan term

Current monthly electric bill$0

Projected future monthly grid cost$0

Possible monthly utility savings$0

Estimated monthly financing cost$0

Estimated net monthly energy cost$0

Projected monthly grid-cost change$0

Fuel Risk and Generator Use

Use manufacturer- or installer-supplied consumption data to compare generator-only and battery-assisted outage scenarios.

Generator fuel typeFuel-use rate per hourOutage scenarioCustom outage hoursLocal fuel price per unit ($)Onsite usable fuel capacityStarting fuel level (%)Battery usable capacity (kWh)Critical-load estimate (kW)Battery reserve setting (%)Generator maintenance interval (hours)Known refueling/delivery limitation

Generator-only fuel use0

Estimated generator fuel cost$0

Estimated hours until fuel is exhausted0

Estimated battery-only hours0

Battery-assisted generator hours avoided0

Estimated fuel avoided0

Verify before relying on these results
Use the exact consumption data and fuel units supplied for your generator. Check manufacturer requirements, maintenance intervals, onsite fuel storage, ventilation, transfer equipment, noise, emissions, permitting, fire-code rules, and realistic local refueling access.

Home Away Readiness
Who could access your emergency information if an outage or home incident occurred while you were away? Consider creating an authorized household handoff and keeping critical system information accessible. Learn about ShutSafe Home Kit.

Utility export-credit reminder
Solar export credits, battery programs, incentives, and eligibility can change. Confirm the current tariff and program terms directly with your utility and participating provider before relying on them.

Download Your Backup Plan Summary

Keep a copy of your choices and estimates to discuss with a qualified Arizona installer. Add a few details that a generic inquiry misses; leave anything unknown blank.

ZIP code (optional)When do you need backup? Outage protection goal Other essential loads or details

The file is created in your browser. Downloading does not submit your details to Backup Ready. Share it only with a provider you choose, or use the assessment contact path below.

COMPARE MY BACKUP OPTIONS

Planning estimates only—not a financing offer, engineering recommendation, final quote, utility-rate forecast, or savings guarantee. Fuel prices, fuel availability, generator consumption, battery performance, household loads, weather and outage duration vary. Results are estimates for education and planning only and are not a guarantee of runtime, savings, availability, compatibility or performance. Final design and installation require qualified professionals and applicable utility, permitting, electrical, fire and fuel-storage approvals. Backup Ready does not design or install systems; participating licensed Arizona contractors provide final recommendations, pricing, permitting, and installation.